KSP version 0.8.5 is now released as an official update!
Here’s the changelog:
New:
* Added copying of parts (and sets of parts) by holding Alt while clicking on them.
* Replaced tricoupler textures and UV mapping (UV map by Dippeggs)
* Parachutes can now deploy automatically if jettisoned along with other parts (allowing for parts to be safely landed)
* Stage decouplers can now share fuel across stages.
* Added Keys to control the camera in the VAB (+/- for zooming, pgup/pgdown for scrolling)
* Added Keys to control the camera in flight (+/- for zooming)
* Added some sound effects for the parachute opening
* Added cfg-definable parameter for parachute autodeployment delay
* Added a debugging console to the game (can be toggled with Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C)
* Right-clicking the Symmetry Button will now step the symmetry mode back.
* It is no longer possible to select a part of the ship while the mouse is over any interface items.
* Added toggle key to switch between precision or instant input modes (Caps Lock)
* Pitch, Yaw and Roll gauges change color to indicate mode (orange for instant, cyan for precision)
* Exposed Kd, Ki and Kp parameters for tuning the SAS and CommandPod modules
Straight-up shot. (When needed, full overthrust until overhead threshold, then backing off just enough to keep from exploding)
1-stack, 1 stage
1 tank, 1 engine - 0 m/s at 28,852
2 tanks, 1 engine - 1900 m/s at 67,000, out of fuel
3 tanks, 1 engine - 1600 m/s at 67,000, half tank left
4 tanks, 1 engine - can't get off pad
1-stack, 2 stages
2x 1 tank, 1 engine - 1600 m/s at 53,000, out of fuel
1 tank, 1 engine + 2 tank, 1 engine - can't get off pad
3-stack, 1 stage
1 tank, 1 engine (1 SAS) - 550 m/s at 17,000, out of fuel
2 tanks, 1 engine (1 SAS) - 1900 m/s at 67,000, out of fuel
3 tanks, 1 engine (1 SAS) - 1650 m/s at 67,000, 3x half tanks left SSTO Candidate
4 tanks, 1 engine (1 SAS) - can't get off pad
3-stack, 2 stages
2x 1 tank, 1 engine (1 SAS) - 1700 m/s at 50,000, out of fuel
1 tank, 1 engine + 2 tank, 1 engine - can't get off pad
1 liquid + 2 boosters - 640 m/s at 20,000, out of fuel
1 liquid + 3 boosters - 680 m/s at 21,000, out of fuel
1 liquid + 4 boosters - 740 m/s at 24,000, out of fuel
1 liquid + 6 boosters - 760 m/s at 23,000, out of fuel
2 liquid + 2 boosters - 1800 m/s at 67,000, 1/10 tank left
2 liquid + 3 boosters - 1800 m/s at 67,000, 1/10 tank left
2 liquid + 4 boosters - 1800 m/s at 67,000, 1/10 tank left
3 liquid + 2 boosters - 1500 m/s at 67,000, 2/3 tank left
4 liquid + 2 boosters - 1200 m/s at 67,000, 1.2 tanks left Orbiter!
5 liquid = 2 boosters - 1000 m/s at 67,000, 1.75 tanks left Orbital Maneuvering!
6 liquid = 2 boosters - 1000 m/s at 67,000, 2.1 tanks left 1x Fuel Tanker!
7 liquid + 2 boosters - 930 m/s at 67,000, 2.25 tanks left Inefficient 1x Fuel Tanker
8 liquid + 2 boosters - 840 m/s at 67,000, 2.33 tanks left Inefficient 1x Fuel Tanker
9 liquid + 2 boosters - stalls out after booster stage, keep it upright and it will come to a hover at 55m, 3 fuel tanks lighter. Useless.
0
KwitkoSheriff of Banning (Retired)By the thing near the stuffIcrontian
edited July 2011
YAY! I finally got somewhere. 550k meters altitude, but I borked the landing and opened the chute too late. They took 60Gs of force at splashdown.
After a while when you get to 0 gravity it just goes on and on infinitely. It wasn't even slowing down. All I could stand was 30 minutes and I gotta get to working on a project.
1 liquid + 2 boosters - 640 m/s at 20,000, out of fuel
1 liquid + 3 boosters - 680 m/s at 21,000, out of fuel
1 liquid + 4 boosters - 740 m/s at 24,000, out of fuel
1 liquid + 6 boosters - 760 m/s at 23,000, out of fuel
2 liquid + 2 boosters - 1800 m/s at 67,000, 1/10 tank left
2 liquid + 3 boosters - 1800 m/s at 67,000, 1/10 tank left
2 liquid + 4 boosters - 1800 m/s at 67,000, 1/10 tank left
3 liquid + 2 boosters - 1500 m/s at 67,000, 2/3 tank left
4 liquid + 2 boosters - 1200 m/s at 67,000, 1.2 tanks left Orbiter!
5 liquid = 2 boosters - 1000 m/s at 67,000, 1.75 tanks left Orbital Maneuvering!
6 liquid = 2 boosters - 1000 m/s at 67,000, 2.1 tanks left 1x Fuel Tanker!
7 liquid + 2 boosters - 930 m/s at 67,000, 2.25 tanks left Inefficient 1x Fuel Tanker
8 liquid + 2 boosters - 840 m/s at 67,000, 2.33 tanks left Inefficient 1x Fuel Tanker
9 liquid + 2 boosters - stalls out after booster stage, keep it upright and it will come to a hover at 55m, 3 fuel tanks lighter. Useless.
You had this in a straight tower? How were your boosters attached?
After a while when you get to 0 gravity it just goes on and on infinitely. It wasn't even slowing down. All I could stand was 30 minutes and I gotta get to working on a project.
Assumes science of boosters and liquid.
Each stage optimized based on prior knowledge.
3 stages, 2 liquids, 1 engine as payload (orbiter)
3 stacks of 2 liquid + 3 boosters - 1350 m/s at 67,000, 1.66 tanks left (used payload)
3 stacks of 3 liquid + 3 boosters - 1357 m/s at 67,000, payload + 3 * .125 tanks left - Use for next stage
3 stacks of 3 liquid + 6 boosters - 1355 m/s at 67,000, payload + 3 * .125 tanks left
6 stacks of 1 liquid - 1185 m/s at 67,000 m, orbiter + 3* .75 tanks left
6 stacks of 2 liquid - 1043 m/s at 67,000 m, orbiter + 3* 1.33 tanks left -
6 stacks of 3 liquid - 1029 m/s at 67,000 m, orbiter + 3* 1.5 tanks left - barely left the ground on the first tank - but I think the boosters will help it...
5 stages, add...
3 boosters - won't fly
6 boosters - 824 m/s at 67,000 m, orbiter + 3* 2 tanks left - big boost here, this thing would fly if it kept going
I started to have a lot of trouble with the sequence logic at this point, and I didn't feel like going to 6 stages. The logic is definitely finicky - I was having to "reassemble" the engine from the top down to get the sequence to reset, etc.
What I don't understand is how I can have 6 liquid engines, and have no thrust. But add 6 solids, and suddenly I jump off the platform to 100 m/s, then stay there... then the boosters run out, and I fall to 60 m/s only to climb to the numbers posted above.
Comments
Attached is my ship on the pad
Solid booster for the retro burn? Risky guy.
I know this one works, but I think it can be done with one less fuel tank in the 2nd stage.
Basically:
(stages 2 and 3 burn from liftoff, stage 3 drops away at flameout)
The lateral couplers can be connected in series...
As in, you can have springs. And they break. Easily.
<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/L4spKNbcMVk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Apogee: 207km, 2083 m/s
Landed in the ocean :P
Nice! What was your ship?
Here’s the changelog:
New:
* Added copying of parts (and sets of parts) by holding Alt while clicking on them.
* Replaced tricoupler textures and UV mapping (UV map by Dippeggs)
* Parachutes can now deploy automatically if jettisoned along with other parts (allowing for parts to be safely landed)
* Stage decouplers can now share fuel across stages.
* Added Keys to control the camera in the VAB (+/- for zooming, pgup/pgdown for scrolling)
* Added Keys to control the camera in flight (+/- for zooming)
* Added some sound effects for the parachute opening
* Added cfg-definable parameter for parachute autodeployment delay
* Added a debugging console to the game (can be toggled with Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C)
* Right-clicking the Symmetry Button will now step the symmetry mode back.
* It is no longer possible to select a part of the ship while the mouse is over any interface items.
* Added toggle key to switch between precision or instant input modes (Caps Lock)
* Pitch, Yaw and Roll gauges change color to indicate mode (orange for instant, cyan for precision)
* Exposed Kd, Ki and Kp parameters for tuning the SAS and CommandPod modules
1-stack, 1 stage
1-stack, 2 stages
1 tank, 1 engine + 2 tank, 1 engine - can't get off pad
3-stack, 1 stage
2 tanks, 1 engine (1 SAS) - 1900 m/s at 67,000, out of fuel
3 tanks, 1 engine (1 SAS) - 1650 m/s at 67,000, 3x half tanks left SSTO Candidate
4 tanks, 1 engine (1 SAS) - can't get off pad
3-stack, 2 stages
1 tank, 1 engine + 2 tank, 1 engine - can't get off pad
Don't forget to get the 0.8.5 version update.
Apogee: 99641 m, 2245.1 m/s
Perigee: 97639 m, 2251.5 m/s
Also, the camera flips out when you're in a polar orbit and pass over the poles.
Camera glitch is known.
1-stack, 2 stages
1 liquid + 3 boosters - 680 m/s at 21,000, out of fuel
1 liquid + 4 boosters - 740 m/s at 24,000, out of fuel
1 liquid + 6 boosters - 760 m/s at 23,000, out of fuel
2 liquid + 3 boosters - 1800 m/s at 67,000, 1/10 tank left
2 liquid + 4 boosters - 1800 m/s at 67,000, 1/10 tank left
4 liquid + 2 boosters - 1200 m/s at 67,000, 1.2 tanks left Orbiter!
5 liquid = 2 boosters - 1000 m/s at 67,000, 1.75 tanks left Orbital Maneuvering!
6 liquid = 2 boosters - 1000 m/s at 67,000, 2.1 tanks left 1x Fuel Tanker!
7 liquid + 2 boosters - 930 m/s at 67,000, 2.25 tanks left Inefficient 1x Fuel Tanker
8 liquid + 2 boosters - 840 m/s at 67,000, 2.33 tanks left Inefficient 1x Fuel Tanker
9 liquid + 2 boosters - stalls out after booster stage, keep it upright and it will come to a hover at 55m, 3 fuel tanks lighter. Useless.
You had this in a straight tower? How were your boosters attached?
should be around 4.5-5 million meters
yep, lateral connectors on the last fuel tank
Each stage optimized based on prior knowledge.
3 stages, 2 liquids, 1 engine as payload (orbiter)
3 stacks of 3 liquid + 3 boosters - 1357 m/s at 67,000, payload + 3 * .125 tanks left - Use for next stage
3 stacks of 3 liquid + 6 boosters - 1355 m/s at 67,000, payload + 3 * .125 tanks left
4 stages, orbiter + 3 stacks of 3 liquid + 3 boosters and...
6 stacks of 2 liquid - 1043 m/s at 67,000 m, orbiter + 3* 1.33 tanks left -
6 stacks of 3 liquid - 1029 m/s at 67,000 m, orbiter + 3* 1.5 tanks left - barely left the ground on the first tank - but I think the boosters will help it...
5 stages, add...
6 boosters - 824 m/s at 67,000 m, orbiter + 3* 2 tanks left - big boost here, this thing would fly if it kept going
I started to have a lot of trouble with the sequence logic at this point, and I didn't feel like going to 6 stages. The logic is definitely finicky - I was having to "reassemble" the engine from the top down to get the sequence to reset, etc.
Screen shot and ship file attached.
Also, I was very surprised that boosters don't seem to add after a certain amount.
SRB / 1.8 (.36) / 130 / 4 / 100
Liquid / 2 / 100 / 8 / 0
Tank / 2.5 (.3) / 0 / 0 / 500
Drag is about the same for all parts.
Based on this, the solid rocket engine is very fuel efficient, in that it takes 1.8/4.5 = 40% of the mass to produce 65% of the thrust.
However, it falls off after 25 seconds, where the liquid only gets more and more efficient over 62.5 seconds.
Side note - I see no provisions for an "efficient" range of liquid engines in terms of thrust percentage in the config files.